An Architect’s Long-Due Dream Beach House

Designed for and by architect and owner Lewis W. Butler of Butler Armsden Architects, this project was completed by the conception of warm tones beautifying the interiors, work done by Scavullo Design. The heart-warming design showcased by this Californian beach villa was inspired by the beautiful weather and strives to create a strong connection to the surroundings. Spotted on Desire To Inspire, the Stinson Beach House displays a casual collection of building materials like red cedar shingles, bluestone paving the courtyard or Alaskan yellow cedar adorning the ocean side terrace.

This is the story behind the inviting set of private and public spaces: “In 1950 a family bought a lot on the ocean at Stinson Beach in Northern California, but it wasn’t until 1982 that they began to plan a house for three generations. Besides the natural challenges of the coastal environment, there was the additional requirement of having the house carry forward the spirit of a William Wurster designed house built for the same family in Santa Cruz in 1935. The William Wurster house was well known as his only real courtyard house, and also for the large outdoor living room that was very unusual for its time. The plan evolved into an H shape, with a living room at the center, and the wings creating outdoor spaces facing both the Pacific Ocean, and the coastal range, in either direction. Rather than having an outdoor living room, the traditional living room has large sets of sliding doors that open to a position that matches the adjoining windows exactly, creating a distinctly outdoor experience. Depending on the weather, the doors can be open to the ocean, mountains, or both which provides great flexibility for enjoying the outdoors, indoors.”